March 25-26 2006, Lexington, Ky. When you look out in the morning and the ground is covered with an icy mess, the wind is blowing and temperatures are freezing you think "What kind of person in their right mind would come out and ride in this kind of weather." The answer is "games folk." The Bluegrass opened to some of the most dismal weather ever. However everyone, from novices to 4-Ever Young riders showed up with a smile and a sense of adventure to make the weekend an event which will rate at the top of fond memories.
Even before the event,USMGA'ers and our Middlesex visitors were treated to a simply elegant party by Chip and Betts Montgomery. Gamesers painted and loaded equipment,came to help exercise ponies for our visiting team, sorted ribbons and made and ordered food. (Thanks to Cindy Miller and Nora Benson, best chefs in the horseworld and possibly the entire region, Bets Montgomery and Leann Benevento who sorted through the registrations and the ribbons,(Bets was also show secretary in the office and did a spectacular job) Peter (chief referee) and June Hearn, guests who spent an entire week helping organize props along with Pat and Hannah Rose Neuheuser, Anna and Lauren Algier, Brent Drew-Wolak, Kristen Anderson and others, Hans Kallenberger who hauled equipment and set up the field, Pat Neuheuser and Tammy Anderson who helped get the Middlesex,England horses to the horse park, and the wonderful crew that helped put on the BlueGrass Open.
In the Master's Division, Quicksilver stood with 94 point and Middlesex with 90 after three ground sessions. The Terminators-Stags-Fillies carried 80 points, Spitfires 76 points to make up the A Final. B Final was Neon Knights 73 points, Flying Colors, 60 points, Holy Cows 46 points, and Young Blades 41 points. In the A Final it was a fight between Middlesex and the Terminators, Studs, Hillbillies throughout the final. Then Quicksilver, trailing by seven points began a comeback pulling to within one point of Middlesex to place second. Terminator etc. placed third with Spitfires fourth. In the B Final, the Neon Knights pulled ahead to finish with 36 points, the Holy Cows with 33, the Flying Colors (riding for the first time in Master's division after winning Novice at the Finale) with 26 and the Young Blades 21. In the 4-Ever Young Final, it was the RedNex in Spandex who won, with 116 points. The Valley Cops had 101 points and Out of Order scored 56 points. (Double points were awarded in the Novice and 4-Ever finals) In the Novice Division, Hey Dude Where's My Pony took first with 170 points, the Speedbumps were second with 137 points closely followed by The Knights Who Say Nee with 13 points. The youngest teams were the Pink Panthers with 57 points and the flying Fillies with 49 points.
The organizers would like to thank everyone who helped with the competition (especially Sandy Clevenger and Mark and Kristyn Textor worked the entire weekend) Thanks to Peter Hern, who came all the way from England to do a spectacular job as chief referee. Thanks to coaches Alex and Clive Jones, Dennis Clevenger, Ciaron Hanlon, and Maggie Lange. A special thanks also to Dave Leonard who helped referee on Sunday, Charlotte Woodman who kept the ribbons straight, and Carol Jones, Nora Benson and Sharon Leonard who scored both days of the competition. (Ahem, kept score for the competition). The problem with thanking folks is that you miss so many people who did so much to help with the competition. A special thanks also to the Middlesex team who came all the way from England to teach us what games is all about. It is the friendship you remember for a lifetime.
To see some pictures from the weekend click here.
1st Quick Silver (34 pts.): (B. Clevenger, C. Greiling, S. Greiling, L. Montgomery, H. Textor)
2nd The Neon Nights (26 pts.): (J. Benson, K. Karns, J. Miller, B. Sanderson, D. Sargent)
3rd The Spitfires (26 pts.): (L. Crowl, A. Graham, D. Pingree, A. Robb, K. Smith)
4th Young Blades (13 pts.): (S. Langton, M. Norton, K. Raycroft, K.C. Trodden, A. Vieweg)
1st Middlesex (34 pts.): (R. Bevis, F. Blount, E. Dobby, S. Hern, B. Thornton)
2nd The Hillbillies (28 pts.): (B. Couch, C. Couch, M. Cruikshanks, S. Cruikshanks, S. Macdonald)
3rd Flying Colors (18 pts.): (K. Anderson, M. Lange, J. Leonard, J. Lewis, H. Neuhauser)
4th Holy Cows! (15 pts.): (C. Benson, G. Briand, L. Griffin, D. Phillips)
1st Middlesex (29 pts.): (R. Bevis, F. Blount, E. Dobby, S. Hern, B. Thornton)
2nd The Spitfires (28 pts.): (L. Crowl, A. Graham, D. Pingree, A. Robb, K. Smith)
3rd The Hillbillies (25 pts.): (B. Couch, C. Couch, M. Cruikshanks, S. Cruikshanks, S. Macdonald)
4th Holy Cows! (16 pts.): (C. Benson, G. Briand, L. Griffin, D. Phillips)
1st Quick Silver (33 pts.): (B. Clevenger, C. Greiling, S. Greiling, L. Montgomery, D. Sargent)
2nd The Neon Nights (24 pts.): (J. Benson, K. Karns, J. Miller, B. Sanderson, D. Sargent)
3rd Flying Colors (24 pts.): (K. Anderson, M. Lange, J. Leonard, J. Lewis, H. Neuhauser)
4th Young Blades (15 pts.): (S. Langton, M. Norton, K. Raycroft, K.C. Trodden, A. Vieweg)
1st Neon Nights (23 pts.): (J. Benson, K. Karns, J. Miller, B. Sanderson, D. Sargent)
2nd Middlesex (23 pts.): (R. Bevis, F. Blount, E. Dobby, S. Hern, B. Thornton)
3rd The Spitfires (22 pts.): (L. Crowl, A. Graham, D. Pingree, A. Robb, K. Smith)
4th Holy Cows! (9 pts.): (C. Benson, G. Briand, L. Griffin, D. Phillips)
1st The Hillbillies (27 pts.): (B. Couch, C. Couch, M. Cruikshanks, S. Cruikshanks, S. Macdonald)
2nd Quick Silver (27 pts.): (B. Clevenger, C. Greiling, S. Greiling, L. Montgomery, D. Sargent)
3rd Flying Colors (15 pts.): (K. Anderson, M. Lange, J. Leonard, J. Lewis, H. Neuhauser)
4th Young Blades (21 pts.): (S. Langton, M. Norton, K. Raycroft, K.C. Trodden, A. Vieweg)
1st Neon Nights (36 pts.): (J. Benson, K. Karns, J. Miller, B. Sanderson, D. Sargent)
2nd Holy Cows! (33 pts.): (C. Benson, G. Briand, L. Griffin, D. Phillips)
3rd Flying Colors (26 pts.): (K. Anderson, M. Lange, J. Leonard, J. Lewis, H. Neuhauser)
4th Young Blades (21 pts.): (S. Langton, M. Norton, K. Raycroft, K.C. Trodden, A. Vieweg)
1st Middlesex (36 1/2 pts.): (R. Bevis, F. Blount, E. Dobby, S. Hern, B. Thornton)
2nd Quicksilver (35 1/2 pts) : (B. Clevenger, C. Greiling, S. Greiling, L. Montgomery, H. Textor)
3rd The Hillbillies (32 pts.): (B. Couch, C. Couch, M. Cruikshanks, S. Cruikshanks, S. Macdonald)
4th The Spitfires (26 pts.): (L. Crowl, A. Graham, D. Pingree, A. Robb, K. Smith)
1st The Rednecks in Spandex (26 pts.): (R. Crosley, L. Englert, H. Kallenburger, M. Lange)
2nd Valley Caps (21 pts.): (C. Benson, L. Phillips, J. Seggie-Flemming, B. Trodden, T. Vieweg)
3rd Out of Order (13 pts.): (T. Anderson, K. Blakesley, S. Johnson, D. Lewis, P. Neuhauser)
1st The Rednecks in Spandex (19 pts.): (R. Crosley, L. Englert, H. Kallenburger, M. Lange)
2nd Valley Caps (18 pts.): (C. Benson, L. Phillips, J. Seggie-Flemming, B. Trodden, T. Vieweg)
3rd Out of Order (11 pts.): (T. Anderson, K. Blakesley, S. Johnson, D. Lewis, P. Neuhauser)
1st Valley Caps (18 pts.): (C. Benson, L. Phillips, J. Seggie-Flemming, B. Trodden, T. Vieweg)
2nd The Rednecks in Spandex (17 pts.): (R. Crosley, L. Englert, H. Kallenburger, M. Lange)
3rd Out of Order (12 pts.): (T. Anderson, K. Blakesley, S. Johnson, D. Lewis, P. Neuhauser)
1st The Rednecks in Spandex (26 pts.): (R. Crosley, L. Englert, H. Kallenburger, M. Lange)
2nd Valley Caps (21 pts.): (C. Benson, L. Phillips, J. Seggie-Flemming, B. Trodden, T. Vieweg)
3rd Out of Order (13 pts.): (T. Anderson, K. Blakesley, S. Johnson, D. Lewis, P. Neuhauser)
1st Dude Where's My Pony (29 pts.): (T. Durnell, J. Maddox, S. Melvin, D. Textor, K. Textor)
2nd Kights Who Say Nee (22 pts.): (K. Anderson, C. Arnold, D. Clevenger, A. Crosby, D. Sanderson)
3rd Speed Bumps (19 pts.): (A. Alger, B. Drew-Womak, L. Ford,)
4th The Pink Panthers (10 pts.):(K. Cheetham, N. Corn, E. Paffhauser, H. Sparks)
1st Dude Where's My Pony (31 pts.): (T. Durnell, J. Maddox, S. Melvin, D. Textor, K. Textor)
2nd Speed Bumps (20 pts.): (A. Alger, B. Drew-Womak, L. Ford,)
3rd Kights Who Say Nee (19 pts.): (K. Anderson, C. Arnold, D. Clevenger, A. Crosby, D. Sanderson)
4th The Pink Panthers (10 pts.):(K. Cheetham, N. Corn, E. Paffhauser, H. Sparks)
1st Dude Where's My Pony (30 pts.): (T. Durnell, J. Maddox, S. Melvin, D. Textor, K. Textor)
2nd Kights Who Say Nee (22 pts.): (K. Anderson, C. Arnold, D. Clevenger, A. Crosby, D. Sanderson)
3rd Speed Bumps (20 pts.): (A. Alger, B. Drew-Womak, L. Ford,)
4th The Flying Fillies (9 pts.):(A. Whitman, K. Crone, A.)
5th The Pink Panthers (9 pts.):(K. Cheetham, N. Corn, E. Paffhauser, H. Sparks)
1st Dude Where's My Pony (170 pts.): (T. Durnell, J. Maddox, S. Melvin, D. Textor, K. Textor)
2nd Speed Bumps (137 pts.): (A. Alger, B. Drew-Womak, L. Ford,)
3rd Kights Who Say Nee (135 pts.): (K. Anderson, C. Arnold, D. Clevenger, A. Crosby, D. Sanderson)
4th The Pink Panthers (57 pts.):(K. Cheetham, N. Corn, E. Paffhauser, H. Sparks)
5th The Flying Fillies (49 pts.):(A. Whitman, K. Crone, A. )